Rope
by Dark Scimitar
Summary: Tiger's guilt over his brother's death can torment him in his dreams as well as when he's awake. R & R! -- Note: I've edited and revised this songfic so it's easier to read.


**I don't own "Rope" by 40 Below Summer. (The stars/italics indicate where lyrics start & end)**

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Tiger of the Wind lay down on the soft earth. He heard no sounds save the ones that the night chose to reveal and he did not press to see more. His comrades, his life, were sleeping somewhere nearby and he knew that they were content in their own worlds. He rested his head on his paws and soon his vision ceased as he closed his eyes. Soon, he saw nothing. Sleep provided little relief from the real world for Tiger, for his world was like a nightmare. His life had seemed like one from the moment he and his brother had left to be on their own. Then, as quickly as their adventure had started, he was alone again. He suddenly appeared on a dark land and slowly looked around. Everything was engulfed in shadow and it almost seemed as if the entire landscape was made of them. He walked slowly forward and looked over the terrain. It glowed an eerie red in a dimming sunset and the last light slowly slid down his face, eventually vanishing altogether so soon nothing of him seemed to exist but his eyes. He turned and started to walk away.

"I've lived my life for nothing." He mumbled to himself, "I've failed everyone that I care for. But why do I have to suffer?"

"Because you're worthless." Came a voice, "Just like everyone else in this life."

He looked up and saw, standing before him, his old pack. Standing at the front of them, was his brother, Gray Wolf. Tiger's golden eyes went wide and a single tear slid down his face as he stared at them.

"I always thought you would come." Gray Wolf shook his head, "But I was wrong…just like every other time before."

"I…I…I wanted to save you." Tiger choked

"You never even tried." Gray Wolf spat, "You never understood how I felt."

Tiger stared at the earth and felt something overcoming him, something he had felt many times before. He looked into Gray Wolf's eyes, and he saw it. All the things that the gray lupine had ever wanted to say, wanted to scream. And they came forward and overwhelmed him.

_*Hollow this - and maybe you can swallow this. _

_I don't know I guess it always seems that something in this life is diseased. _

_But guess what now - Here's something that you can't devour. _

_It's something moving with the tide and now it's ripping you up from inside!_

_Follow me into the Abyss of the windfall that's tearing you down. _

_It's OK to believe that there's something in nothing now*_

Tiger's thoughts cried out, adding their voices to Gray Wolf's.

_*I'm at the end of my rope! _

_If I could give - I'll bet I would play dead. _

_If I could live - I'd fall apart again. _

_If I could fly - away from all this pain. _

_If I could run - I'd crumble again.*_

And then again came the accusations. The things that his whole pack was blaming him for, conjured in the words of his brother.

_*Please rewind - Retrace your life and then you'll find, _

_That everything you learned in this - is just a pile of worthlessness. _

_So suffocate - and maybe you can separate._

_And in the end - it's no surprise,_

_That only in death will you realize.*_

Tiger once again felt the need to let go of the emotions he had kept bottled up inside himself for so long, and in his mind, he did just that.

_*I'm at the end of my rope!_

_If I could give - I'll bet I would play dead._

_If I could live - I'd fall apart again._

_If I could fly - away from all this pain._

_If I could run - I'd crumble down again.*_

Gray Wolf turned his head away, at first displaying absolutely no emotion, but revealing the still fresh looking stab wound in his chest. Then he looked at his older brother in despair and shook his head once again.

_*If it's true - it's just to pass the time - just to pacify my will to bind._

_You can't drive when you're blind - and it burns your eyes._

_You can't hold me to a place in time - where I'm stuck behind._

_You can't climb out of the flood -the sign - listen to the lies that cut you up inside, _

_And the blood will stain our lives.*_

Tiger said nothing, but felt a stab of pain in his heart upon hearing his brother's thoughts. He closed his eyes and let his own tortured mind answer back.

_*If I could..._

_I'm at the end of my rope!_

_If I could give - I'll bet I would play dead._

_If I could live - I'd fall apart again._

_If I could fly - away from all this pain._

_If I could run - I'd crumble again._

_If I could give more…_

_If I could cut me in any way I could…_

_If I could fly away…_

_If I could...If I could run.*_

Then he looked up from where he stood, and it all faded. His brother looked at him one last time and then turned away forever. Suddenly, Tiger woke up abruptly from his nightmare, letting out a grunt of shock. He looked around in confusion and saw that everything was just as he had left it. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled, startled, and found himself staring into the kind, worried eyes of Genki Sakura.

"You were dreaming." The young man told him in concern. "You gonna be alright?"

Tiger wanted to tell him everything, he really did, but something still held him back. Then he abruptly realized what it was: guilt.

"I'll be fine." He lied and Genki smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder.

Then he turned and walked back over to where he'd been and lay down again.

"If you need me, just tell me." He said and went back to sleep.

"I'm gonna need you kid." Tiger whispered, "So don't leave me like everyone else okay?"

"Okay." Genki muttered in his sleep.

Tiger looked at him one last time and then he too lay back down. Then he rested his head on his paws, and stared into the darkness until morning.

**---**


End file.
